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Discoveries in Natural
History & Exploration This site is an
international, intergovernmental, not-for-profit database coordinated by researchers
at the University of California and associated agencies worldwide. Its mission is to facilitate the
dissemination, application and generation of scientific knowledge in support
of sustainable solutions to problems in agriculture, forestry, human health
and the management of natural resources, and with particular attention to the
needs of developing countries “Discoveries in
Natural History & Exploration” includes a Biological Pest Control database
that incorporates lecture notes and a Biological Control text developed over
many years as teaching materials for courses at the University of California
Riverside. The database, which is for
educational purposes only, is a 'one-stop shop' for the student of Biological
Control, and especially Classical
Biological Control. This database has a long and distinguished history. It began as a course taught by the founder
of the Department of Biological Control, Harry Scott Smith. Later Paul DeBach, Charles Fleschner and
Ernest Bay developed the course further, with Fred Legner teaching the final
version for advanced students, which is what comprises most of the Database
on the Internet now. Now retired from
the University of California at Riverside, Professor Legner is devoting time
to developing an unparalleled Internet resource. Exhaustive coverage
of the theory and practice of Biological Pest Control: everything from ecological theory to
implementation and evaluation methods, is backed up by sections covering this
subject on a group-by-group basis, and also on a regional basis. The extensive coverage afforded by the
database allows inclusion of topics often given scant space elsewhere and for
which summarized information can be hard to find. There is, for example, an in-depth review in the section,
'Economic gains from biological control' of not only the measurable monetary
costs and benefits of biological control, but also less-easily quantifiable
economic gains from increased food security and reduced pesticide use. Professor
Legner has considerably enlarged the database, too, to include peripheral
aspects of Biological Control, such as Insect Morphology, Taxonomy and Integrated Control.
Other links developed naturally from the numerous travels that he made
to secure natural enemies of insects and weeds from many lands. There is
a disheartening endnote, though. The
University of California, Riverside used to have a Department of Biological
Control of international renown. In
1962, when Fred Legner joined the Department, there were about 45 full-time
faculty and staff devoted to the deployment of natural Biological Control (a
branch of the Department resided at Albany, California). Most efforts involved the importation of
natural enemies to combat alien pest insects, weeds and mites. There cannot be many readers of this
journal who have not benefited either directly or indirectly from the work
and research of this department, yet today only remnants remain.
An enduring legacy of the people who worked there, though, is this
authoritative and comprehensive Biological Control Database. There are no restrictions on the use and
dissemination of information, as long as it is for non-profit educational
purposes. Dr. Legner says he is still
developing the site, and is still in the process of obtaining feedback from
colleagues; parts of it are changing daily. It is impossible to
give more than a flavour of what the site contains here, so readers are
encouraged to take a look for themselves. Rebecca Murphybni@cabi.orgCABI Bioscience UK Centre (Ascot), Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot,Berkshire SL5 7TA, UKPhone: +44 1491 829121 / +44 1344 872999Fax: +44 1491 829123 VITA: E. F. Legner |